The Meharry Medical College RCMI program currently consists of 1) "core" projects for program administration, neuroscience research, and physical resources in the library and animal care facility that have been sponsored by RCMI since 1985; and 2) projects in environmental health, human genome research, and AIDS that were funded by RCMI supplements awarded after 1990. The Meharry Medical College RCMI consists of five components to enhance research infrastructure and four research-related activities. These research activities emphasize studies of HIV-gene expression, signal transduction events in HIV infection, dioxins and toxicity, cadmium toxicity, and male reproduction. New activities are proposed to enhance research infrastructure in cellular signaling and oral biology and activities are proposed to continue development of the research infrastructure for environmental health, human genetics, and AIDS. The Overall goals of the Meharry Medical College RCMI are: 1. To create new intellectual infrastructure for research by recruiting new, research-oriented faculty members in cellular signaling and oral biology. 2. To strengthen Meharry's existing intellectual infrastructure for research by recruiting new, research-oriented faculty members in environmental health, human genetics, and AIDS. 3. To strengthen Meharry's existing intellectual infrastructure for research by enabling selected faculty members to establish themselves as investigators or to pursue new research directions, by supporting pilot research projects. This will help the college research a critical mass of active investigators in the research areas for which we request support. 4. To strengthen the college's physical infrastructure by purchasing equipment for core laboratories in the new and developing areas, including biosafety level 3 facilities.